Not Together

Morning Memories

I’m sorry my turnaround rate for writing is absolutely abysmal. We’re half way through the year and I’m still dragging ass on my holiday story arc. Just in time for Christmas in July, I guess. (See?? I totally had this all planned, you just needed some faith.)

This chapter is shit, don't even @ me.

You woke up cold, freezing actually. You curled tighter into yourself, pulling at the single sheet that only covered half of you, finding that it wouldn’t budge from whatever it was hung up on. Cracking your eyes open, you rolled over finding the culprit was your own bed-partner, his broad back to you as he was comfortably cocooned in the warmth of the large comforter he’d somehow managed to pin under himself and the rest of the sheet, a tuft of black hair peeking out from under them. You shuffled closer, not willing to get out of bed and face the world just yet, pulling at the comforter to try and cover yourself, finding the same as before; no give. You sat up this time, both hands pulling in frustration, but Jotaro’s hold was firm.

“Jojo.” You softly whined as you lie back down, keeping your voice low now that the possibility of someone being awake was highly likely, shuffling your body against his back, trying to soak in the warmth that taunted you from the other side of the blanket. “Jotaro,” You pushed against him, unsure if he was actually asleep or just being an ass, “it’s cold.” He groaned, finally relinquishing the blankets from under himself and his vice-like grip, “There. Stop whining.” He mumbled, burrowing back into the blanket as he was before he was so rudely interrupted by you. You quickly hauled some over to your side, greedily enjoying his second-hand body heat for a moment before cuddling up to the source itself, your hands resting against his back. “Your hands are cold.” He complained, arching his back away from you. “Oh, um, sorry.” You whispered, you retracted your hands from him, intending to move away, and shuffle back to “your” side. Suppressing a squeak, one of his hands came around himself and grabbed your own, pulling it, and consequently you, forwards until you were flush against his back, your hand now cradled against his chest by his own larger one. “Are you always this annoying in the mornings?” He asked, though the tone was tired you could still tell it had a teasing hint to it. You opened your mouth to reply, but quickly shut it, instead hiding your face in his back, realizing that ‘guess you’ll have to find out’ probably wasn’t the most appropriate response for the situation.

“You stole all the blankets, and it was cold.” You said, defending yourself resting your cheek against his shoulder blade. Though you were tired, your night having not been the most peaceful, you smiled, enjoying this moment. You weren’t sure when another opportunity like this would come around, so you tried to take it in, memorize every small detail; the curve of Jotaro’s hip under your arm, the feeling of his heartbeat under your hand, the subtle rising and falling of his chest as he rubbed his thumb against the back of your hand. He seemed peaceful, content, which you were thankful for after last night. The look in his eyes, the look of true fear as he woke up from that dream kept you awake last night for longer than you’d like to admit to. It wasn’t pity you had for Jotaro, he was more than capable of fighting against his struggles, it was more concern and empathy, the drive to just hold the stoic teen growing. Your arm tightened around him as if to relay your inner thoughts to him, not that he was aware of said thoughts.

Your caring moment was interrupted by the floorboards outside the door creaking, somebody walking around nearby. You heard a loud exaggerated yawn, and the shuffling of heavy feet growing near, “This house is too big.” The sleepy voice of Joseph Joestar grumbled, still somehow holding onto his usual boisterous tone even whilst half-asleep, as he lumbered through the hall, his movements and voice carrying throughout what seemed like the whole estate, “My back is killing me.” You heard Jotaro sigh, burying himself further down into the blankets to try and block out his grandpa who was oblivious to the two teens cuddling in the room nearby. “Joseph,” You heard the exasperated voice of Grandma Suzi from what sounded like down the hall, your not-boyfriend growling as he clamped his pillow over his head, hitting you with it consequently as you heard a muffled ‘Yare Yare’ from the depths of the pillow cave, “Where are you going?”

“The kitchen.” The older man explained, the floors creaking as he shifted his weight. Your eyes were wide, looking from side to side as if mentally calculating and tracking the couple’s whereabouts as you listened. You heard his wife sigh, “It’s this way, dear. Honestly, you’re going to wake up the whole house.” You held your breath as they passed the room, as if they’d somehow hear or sense you and just come barging in. Jotaro didn’t seem to care, instead focusing on blocking them out and sleeping as opposed to worrying about getting caught in the guest bedroom with you. You sighed in relief as their footsteps faded, relaxing against Jotaro’s back as your eyes shut once more, pondering your escape options now. Tip-toeing out of the house didn’t seem quite as plausible now that there was three extra adults in the house, not to mention Holly was home now, as opposed to the last time. You bit your cheek, trying to imagine how terribly awkward it would be for them to find out that you’d had stayed the night. Did they even know? Maybe you should just make your great escape through the window. Last night you’d wanted to avoid the wrath of your mom, justifying your staying over, but you hadn’t exactly planned out your “morning after”.

“Stop.” You opened your eyes, Jotaro now moving his pillow back under his head as opposed to on top of it, his hand still firmly holding yours. “Stop what?” You asked, confused and concerned if you’d done something wrong. “Worrying. It’s annoying.” He said simply, tugging your hand around himself even more. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, as if it were that simple for you to just stop. You smiled against his back, in idea coming to mind as you slipped your hand from his, a heavy sigh escaping you, “Fine, I’ll just get up and let you sleep.” As the last word left your lips you felt him roll over, a large arm simultaneously coming down and pinning you in place.

You smiled as you shifted close to him again, him sighing through his nose in response, “You’re being annoying again.” His words didn’t match his actions, instead of pushing you away he drew you closer, which you weren’t about to object to, his body warm against yours. You lie on your sides, foreheads together, your hands resting on his collarbones, both ignoring any dangers of being found; if just for a moment. “It would probably be suspicious if we both just happen to wake up at the same time, huh?.” You said, worried, despite Jotaro’s insistence in not being, about what his family might think or say should the both of you just stroll into the room together. The understanding of discretion is implicit between the two of you, but that doesn’t mean you are eager to part ways by any means. You weren’t sure how long the two of you lied there, enjoying a rare moment between the two of you without having to put on some sort of façade. One of his hands unwound itself from your waist, coming up to trace your jawline before tipping your chin up slightly until your lips met his own, your stomach doing somersaults in response. You hooked your index fingers under the straps of his tank top, pulling gently to bring him closer, the kiss becoming firmer. You couldn’t lie, a part of you liked the duality of Jotaro, frustrating as it may be at times; a secret version of him that only few knew.

You finally managed to convince Jotaro to get out of bed, or rather let you out of bed, it wasn’t the easiest task, the boy insisting on keeping you. You cast him one final look before leaving him in the room while you went into the bathroom to change. You frowned down at your clothes, not thrilled with the idea of re-wearing them, but it was better than awkwardly parading around in Holly’s borrowed clothes, that much was certain. You washed up, folding his mother’s clothes and his shirt nicely before you came back into the room, Jotaro half way on the bed laying on his back, while his feet remained on the floor, he wasn’t asleep, his eyes just simply closed as he rested for just a few more moments. “Jojo,” You sighed, setting the folded clothing you were carrying aside on the dresser, “C’mon, you can’t just lay there all day.” He probably could actually, but you didn’t exactly want to face his family alone. He let out his own sigh, cracking an eye open lazily to peer down his body at you. For a moment, he didn’t move, probably mentally calculating what you could possibly do to stop him from staying there all day, finally holding his arm out. You smiled in triumph, taking his offered hand and pulled him up, which in reality was him sitting up on his own allowing you to pretend like you helped in some way as you pulled at his arm.

You intended on walking to the door, but instead found arms holding you back, Jotaro’s face ducked down into the backside of your neck, breath ticking the sensitive skin sending tingles up and down your spine. Your hand landed on his forearm, not to try and pry it off but instead to hold it there for a moment. “Thank you.” He said, his voice feeling as though it resonated down your spine, butterflies in your stomach taking flight at the sensation. You ran your fingers across his arm, much like you did the night before. You had a feeling you knew what he was referring to. You removed your hand from his arm, turning in place until you were face to face with him. Again, as you had the night before, you reached up, cupping his face, his ears turning pink at the gesture. You weren’t sure why it surprised you to feel the beginnings of facial hair under your hands, the coarse hairs rough to the touch as your thumb brushed against them experimentally. Your eyes roamed his face for a second before settling on his own, the aqua hued eyes easy to get lost in, his brows soft with confusion. You sighed through your nose, possibly the lack of sleep was making you brave for a moment, “I’m not strong like you, or useful in protecting anyone from anything,” your eyes cutting away awkwardly as you tried to string together a coherent meaningful statement in the moment, “but,” you looked back at him, offering a small smile, “I can at least try to save you from nightmares.” You hoped that sounded as good as it did in your head, face turning red as you began to overthink how dumb that probably sounded, eyes now looking away out of embarrassment for yourself.

Your mental panic came to a halt as his lips descended on yours, a meaningful kiss with raw emotions as his hands mimicked your owns placement, gently cupping your face. You smiled as your hands traced his sharp jawline until they laced together behind his neck, tilting your head into the kiss more. It wasn’t a deep passionate kiss like you’d shared the night before, instead it was simple, more innocent; an unspoken thank-you between the two of you that spoke more than words could express.

You watched as Jotaro opened the door, pausing for a second to listen, checking the halls, before casually ducking out, closing the door behind him. You hung behind, not wanting to look too suspicious, as you leaned against the wall, replaying moments in your mind from the day before, the night, and this morning. A giddy feeling overcoming you as you hid your face in your hands for a moment to collect yourself; you could only imagine the teasing that would be happening if (B/f) saw you acting like the teen-age schoolgirl you were at the moment. You drew in a deep breath, closing your eyes as you lifted your head, noticing that the scent you’d come to love clung to you. You steeled your nerves, looking at the clock nearby to see how many minutes had passed, if it was sufficient enough to not be obvious when you walked into the kitchen, where you assumed everyone would be; or his grandpa at least was there, if he managed to find his way through the estate.

You could smell the aroma of food before you even fully opened the door, the scent luring you out. It smelled delicious, as Holly’s cooking usually did. As you approached the dining room area, where you assumed everyone would be, you could hear the district voices of Suzi and Holly, cooing and fawning over something. You hoped that Jotaro was already in there as well, hopefully having explain everything. You took a deep breath, praying to whatever god may be listening, before you stepped around the corner. “Good morning, (Y/n).” Holly greeted cheerfully as ever, apron tied around her waist as she leaned over the back of her mother’s chair, an open book before them. There was no Jotaro, instead his grandparents were seated at the table, Suzi dressed just as posh and polished as she was the day before while her husband was still in his pajamas, looking like he’d just rolled out of bed as a nursed a mug of coffee; he was as much a morning person as his grandson it seemed. Odd as it was, he still was wearing the white gloves as he was the day before. Did he sleep in them? You supposed it wasn’t your place to judge or question his habits. All and all, you were off put by the casualness of it all, no shocked expressions, or wild accusations about the goings-on while you spent the night, just a seemingly normal family breakfast. Or maybe this was a set up, and they were waiting for you to take a seat before berating you; drink your orange juice, you harlot.

“Good morning, I- um, I hope that I wasn’t intruding,” You rubbed your arm awkwardly, “Jotaro suggested that I stay in one of the guest bedrooms for the night, er, since it was late and all.” You explained, making sure to state that you were indeed in a guest room for the night, as opposed to Jotaro’s, and that you hadn’t invited yourself to stay.

“Of course, sweetie!” Holly said as if that was a given, she waved her hand, “We wouldn’t expect you to walk home in the cold.” You slow blinked, not sure of what you were expecting, but it wasn’t this. “Have a seat, (Y/n) dear.” Suzi said as she motioned to the chair beside her. You sat obediently, noting that Rosas was absent, surprisingly; one would assume that he would be up and insisting on helping Holly as he did yesterday. You found yourself seated at the table, eating breakfast, which tasted as good as it smelt, making small talk with Jotaro’s family. This had all the awkward energy of waking up before your friend while sleeping over and having to interact with their family, but worse, as it was your boyfriend as opposed to simply a friend. About mid-way through, Joseph became more awake, now coherent and making jokes as Holly poured him a second mug of coffee, eventually wandering off to get dressed; or get lost, as Suzi put it once he was out of ear shot.

The book that the Joestar matriarchs had been engrossed in turned out to be a photo album. You ate, trying to not peek over at the pages, even though it was out in the open, you felt intrusive already just sitting at the breakfast table, let alone looking at precious family memories. Holly and Suzi on the other hand, certainly didn’t share the feeling, flipping through the book, eventually Suzi nudging you to gain your attention. The two were practically beaming as they showed you a collection of less than flattering school photos. Some of the settings you recognized as school field trips or school functions, familiar faces caught in the background, even (B/f) making a cameo in Jotaro’s family album, caught in a fleeing Bigfoot-esque pose as she walked by in the background.

There was a good portion of family photos, apparently his grandparents were a predominant part of his life while growing up judging by the photos. Family vacations featuring a tiny toddler Jotaro sporting a bulky snowsuit being held in a smiling Holly’s arms. A salt and pepper haired Joseph, sprigs of silver predominantly by his temples mixed with brown, building a sandcastle with the dark haired boy on the beach. A few snapshots of the two looking into tide pools together, Joseph pointing at things in the water as a curious Jotaro looked on in awe. It felt odd, almost invasive in a way to see such precious memories without Jotaro being present, his mother and grandmother recounting various stories that accompanied the photos.

“This was his first visit to the aquarium,” Holly said, the fondness in her voice evident as she drew her finger over the small little Jotaro in the photo, “It was always been one of his favorite places.” The said child in the photo was looking up at the massive glass tank in sheer wonder as he pressed a small hand to the glass. You saw a glimpse of that little boy last night, when Jotaro was looking over the model plane, a similar look in his eyes. You smiled at the photo, remembering your own time at the aquarium, how he seemed at peace when you and he had held back while (B/f) and Leon had darted ahead. “He used to call it the fish museum.” His grandma said as an aside to you, a smile playing on her lips. You politely hid a smile of your own behind a fist, finding the adventures of tiny Jotaro adorable.

“But,” Suzi flipped a few pages, the child in the photos progressing in age before she reached one of the last few pages, “I think this one is my new favorite.” Suzi said with a wink as she pointed out the new addition to the book, the photo you all had taken the night before under the lights. You nervously chuckled, thankful that you and Jotaro actually were secretly together, as if you actually were just friends this would probably have been very awkward for you. In the back of your mind, you wondered if your own grandparents were out there accosting strangers with your terrible school photos, loudly announcing to any would-be-bachelors that you, the child in the photo, were indeed single.

“Good morning, Jotaro!” Holly loudly exclaimed as she jumped from her seat, rounding the table to give her still son a kiss on the cheek, who in turn looked as though he’d just woken up; again. “We were showing (Y/n) how cute you used to be.” Suzi said cheekily, the boy looking wide awake now as he saw the photo album on the table. To his credit, he didn’t react with anger, which is probably more than you could say, as if your family had done the same, you probably would have said some choice words in the moment. He instead pulled the brim of his hat down, a grimace on his face as he claimed his grandfather’s seat, a dusting of pink across his covered features. You discreetly patted his arm in a comforting manner, both of you having filled your embarrassment quota for the day.


Self-indulgent cuddles and Sleepy Joots is my religion I think. Soft sleepy big boi who just wants to be held bc his life has been really hard on him. I’m sure that people will see this as OOC and cringe, but just let me have this, plz.

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I initially hated this chapter. I didn’t see much point in it, and it didn’t really do too much to drive the narrative forwards aside from a few small details that will matter later on. But as I wrote, the world changed, and now self-indulgent cuddles and just overall fluffiness doesn’t seem like such a bad thing in these times. Hopefully someone finds some sort of comfort in this, if just for a moment. Be safe, everyone. If you ever need to talk, I’m always open to listening <3

(PS: This isn’t one of the chapters I’m crazy excited about, it’s the next two that are going to be *c h e f’ s  k I s s*)